Two Radiotopia Podcasts Selected for “The Best Audio Storytelling: 2022”
Pushkin Industries’ first collection of the best nonfiction audio features “Ear Hustle” and “Radiotopia Presents: My Mother Made Me”
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“The Best Audio Storytelling: 2022,” a new audiobook curated by story editor Julia Barton with a foreword by bestselling author David Sedaris, will be released on April 18 by Pushkin Industries. The collection of 13 audio stories gathers some of the best and most innovative English-language podcast episodes and radio pieces of the past year, including two from Radiotopia from PRX, the acclaimed podcast network for independent creators. The “Last Memory: Ryan and Earlonne” episode from “Ear Hustle” and the “I Can Do Anything” episode from “Radiotopia Presents: My Mother Made Me” are included in the collection.
According to Pushkin Industries: “This audio compendium guides listeners through a robust selection of 2022’s most powerful nonfiction audio stories, highlighting the unique range and creative challenges of the form.”
“Ear Hustle” — a Pulitzer Prize and Peabody Awards finalist — features stories of the daily realities of life in and out of prison. The “Last Memory: Ryan and Earlonne” episode was released in June 2022 and features co-creators and co-hosts Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor. They go to the intersection of Firmona and Marine Avenues in Lawndale, California, the scene of Woods’ last memory before being locked up. The episode also features an individual named Ryan, who’s been incarcerated for more than 15 years. Ryan shares: “The last memory — it’s weird, right? Because it’s a good memory that comes from a bad memory. I was on the run… I told my parents to go ahead and let the police know that I was going to turn myself in. And in exchange for doing that, just let me have one last dinner with my family.”
“Radiotopia Presents: My Mother Made Me” is a four-episode series from author and Library of Congress National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Jason Reynolds, about his mother and their shared history. They traverse the depths of birth, death, and spirituality, but also keep it light: pushing a cart through Costco, birthday lunches, and hitting the casino together. The “I Can Do Anything” episode invites listeners to a weekly Sunday visit. “My Mother Made Me” was also a 2022 Tribeca Audio official selection and was praised by critics from “The Financial Times” and “The Atlantic.” “Radiotopia Presents” is a podcast feed for new limited series from independent creators.
“Ear Hustle” and “Radiotopia Presents: My Mother Made Me” are selected for “The Best Audio Storytelling: 2022” alongside audio from “Rumble Strip,” “Richard’s Famous Food Podcast,” “Planet Money” from NPR, “Terrestrials” from “Radiolab,” “Stolen: Survivng St. Michael’s” from Spotify and Gimlet, “Will Be Wild” from Wondery and Pineapple Street Studios, and “The New York Times.”
About Radiotopia from PRX
Created in 2014, Radiotopia from PRX is the first network of its kind. As a network of independent podcasts, Radiotopia empowers audio creators with the artistic freedom to thrive on their own terms and to bring audiences inspired, high-quality, and well-crafted soundscapes. Programming from across Radiotopia has received recognition from the Peabody Awards, the duPont-Columbia Awards, the Tribeca Festival, and the Pulitzer Prizes. Radiotopia has also been named one of the most innovative companies in media by “Fast Company” and was named network of the year in the inaugural “Adweek” Podcast of The Year Awards.
Immerse yourself in stories and conversations of all kinds — intellectual and emotional, real and imagined, entertaining and thought-provoking. Be part of a community that values bold authenticity and boundless creativity. Discover award-winning audio with vision at Radiotopia.fm.
